Dr. MarkDavid Hosale (b. 1971) is a media artist and composer. MarkDavid holds a Ph.D. in Media Arts and Technology from the University of California, an MM in Music-Composition and Theory from UIUC, and a BA in Music Composition from the College of Creative Studies, UC Santa Barbara. Currently he holds a position as an Assistant Professor in Digital Media in the Fine Arts Faculty of York University, Toronto, Ontario, Canada. MarkDavid has had works exhibited and performed internationally works in media arts and music at conferences, universities, and festivals and has given lectures and taught internationally at institutions in Denmark, The Netherlands, Norway, and the United States.

MarkDavid's interests are interdisciplinary, but the connecting tissue comes from thinking of art and music as a narrative. In particular, the kind of narrative that is structured using nonlinear representations of information, time, and space. Nonlinear narrative is an inherent aspect of new media that provides a common baseline whereby media artworks can be evaluated and understood. His dissertation, Nonlinear Media As Interactive Narrative (University of California, Santa Barbara: 2008), is an exploration of the question, “what is the form of nonlinear interactive narrative?” providing the impetus for a theoretical discussion, and a formal approach to the understanding his works, while providing a basis for the creation of new works that have a dynamic nonlinear structure and reflect on our modern understanding of knowledge and nature.

In addition to non-linear narrative, MarkDavid’s interdisciplinary interest in art and music comes from the exploration of the connection between the physical and the virtual world. Whether as part of an installation or performance work, the virtual spaces he creates are technologically transparent, sophisticated and virtuosic, as well as intuitive to experience and use.

The content of Quasar is an stratified system of processes, ranging from low to high intensity, augmented by data collected from our universe expressed as light and sound. Users can interact with the work actively and passively in the form of interruptions that change the behavior of the processes. Actively they can trace gestures on the Quasar via a touchpanel interface, altering the light patterns that occur across it. Passively a user's presence alters the intensity mode, which affects the nature of the currently occurring light and sound patterns. Presence is detected via distance sensors in the individual electro-luminescent wires running from floor to ceiling. To see more, here is a video:http://vimeo.com/675887

To make the work as suggested, viewing only, would create a disconnect between the observer and the work. In this case Quasar would simply be a visualization of solar and nuclear data. The interactive aspect of Quasar provides the viewer with a medium whereby they can collaboratively interact with these otherwise unseen processes. Just as with the Heisenberg uncertainty principle it is not possible to observe Quasar without changing it. This connection therefore expresses something our deep connection to the universe. The universe is not an alien object to be observed, but is part of us as much as we are part of it.

Quasar is an immersive light and sound space made from prototype membranes and realized as an interactive light/sound object and comprised of a dense array of interlinked elements describing an intricate three-dimensional structure. The gallery is fitted with sensors that draw real-time data from the installation and the people within the exhibition, which is then synchronized with streamed real-time data of solar activity and nuclear processes provided by SLAC and NASA. This information is then fed back into the object through layers of LED strands, re-visualizing the space in order to create an interactive spatial experience.